Pancake Palooza

Whenever there’s an excuse for some kind of celebratory feast in London, we like to make the most of it. England is not known for having the finest traditional cuisine; we tend to enjoy the culinary delights from other countries here. Indian curries, Italian pasta and pizza or Chinese chow mein. However, no country can really lay claim to coming up with pancakes; archaeological evidence shows that they’ve been around since prehistoric times, across the globe.

Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday - more affectionately known to us Brits as Pancake Day. A day for flipping and tossing aplenty, it’s a great opportunity to get together with friends or family to enjoy this versatile delight. You can eat pancakes with a sweet topping; the classic is lemon juice and sugar, but if you’re feeling adventurous you can go for syrup, ice cream or chopped fruit with cream. They’re also delicious savoury; try a pancake with ham and cheese, or with mushrooms as a vegetarian option.

Making pancakes couldn’t be easier. All you need is some plain flour, eggs and milk; whisk them in a bowl, then add a thin layer of the batter to a hot frying pan with some oil or butter to stop it sticking. Many a ceiling has suffered from failed flips, so try not to be too adventurous if you’re a novice! Those who are more daring with their skillets might want to head to Dray Walk tomorrow, around noon, for the Great Spitalfields Pancake Race 2012. Teams of cooks in fancy dress will be flipping pancakes to raise money for charity; of you want to sponsor them or take part, you don’t have long left to register! Book a Liverpool Street Taxi to get there in good time for the day’s main event. And save us a pancake while you’re there...